


When I met your father

by 5TenDays



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: AvaLance, Canon Compliant, Canonical Character Death, Established Sara Lance/Ava Sharpe, F/F, Meeting the Parents, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-24
Updated: 2019-05-02
Packaged: 2020-01-25 20:25:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,829
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18581947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/5TenDays/pseuds/5TenDays
Summary: Ava Sharpe meets Quentin Lance





	1. Chapter 1

Quentin Lance is at his hospital bed, waiting to be taken into surgery. He is aware of his surroundings but the pain is making difficult to maintain everything in focus. He closes his eyes for a second, trying to maintain an incoming headache at bay. He hears a swishing sound and when he opens his eyes an unknown blonde woman is standing next to his bed.

- Are you here to take my statement? Another FBI agent already did that?

\- I’m not with the FBI

He could have swore she was a federal agent, the outfit certainly seems to suggest that.

\- Are you here to finish the job then? You don’t look like one of Diaz’ goons.

\- I am not. I am a friend of your daughter.

\- You know Laurel?

\- The other one.

That makes him pause. Is not usual to meet someone that knows Sara outside of their vigilante circle and less of all a person that would present themselves as Sara’s friend.

\- A friend of Sara you say?

\- Yes, a friend...

The way this woman oddly stresses the word friend makes him read this previously unknown relationship in a whole different light.

\- And where is she?

\- She must be on its way here.

\- I don’t want to sound rude...

He makes a pause after realizing he doesn’t even know this woman’s name.

\- Ava, Ava Sharpe.

\- I don’t want to sound rude Ms. Sharpe. But if my daughter is not here yet, why are you here then?

\- I needed to talk to you before Sara gets here.

This situation keeps getting more confusing. He tries to think of something clever to say or ask but between the day he just had and the wound he received as a consequence, he ends up settling for straight honesty.

\- I don’t understand

\- You see Sir...

The previously composed woman before him suddenly turns into an slightly awkward and nervous mess. He notices then that what he first thought was an official agent pose of rigidly holding her hands behind her back was perhaps her way of stopping herself from nervously rubbing her own neck like she is doing now.

\- Mrs Sharpe?

\- Miss

He thinks he hears her whispering “at least for now” but it might be the blood loss. Whatever it is, it seems to embolden her somehow.

\- Excuse me?

\- You see Mr. Lance, Sir. I’m here to ask your daughter’s hand in marriage.

\- Do we need to do this now? Here? This does not seem like the best situation. Can’t this wait until after the...

Everything suddenly clicks, everything that did not make sense before now suddenly does. And if he needed any confirmation looking at this woman in the eyes tells him everything he needs to know. How just a few minutes ago he thought she was a simple agent is beyond him now.

\- Oh I see

\- Sir...

\- No, just give me a second here.

So he won’t make it out of this alive. It’s not that he never thought this job would be the end of him, but he always pictured his departure more heroic. Well at least he managed to save one Laurel. And Sara...

\- Sara

He looks at the woman, really takes the time to look at her now. It’s remarkable how much more focused he can be now that he knows there is no point in saving his energy. All that matters is this conversation now. Is knowing that Sara will have someone that is worthy of the great woman she has become. And then the name of his daughter comes out as an affirmation but also as a question, a question that has already been answered by the emotion in both of their eyes, but that Ava answers still the same.

\- Sara, yes.

\- You intend to marry her.

That makes this woman straight her body again. There definitely is some sort of training engrained in her.

\- Yes, Sir.

\- And you love her?

\- I do.

\- And she loves you?

\- I think so... No. I mean yes, she does.

She sees her blushing, doubting and then answering with certainty. But what really strikes Quentin Lance is the full range of emotions that pass through those eyes while all that happens. Emotions brought by the mere thought of his daughter.

\- And what type of agent are you?

\- Sir?

\- You thought I missed the fact that you denied being part of the FBI but you never denied being an agent, Agent Sharpe? You really thought an experienced police officer like myself would miss that? Are you implying the desk job made me rusty?

\- No, Sir. of course not.

That’s when Quentin smirks (unknowingly just like Sara does when she is trying to show Ava she is just messing with her) and he sees Ava relax again.

\- So what type of agent is trying to marry my daughter?

\- I’m the current Director of the Time Bureau.

\- TIME Bureau, that explains the knowledge.

Silence takes the room. If there was a silver of hope or doubt that she might have been wrong, that he may get to survive to see this all unfold, to see one of his daughters walk down the aisle while holding his arm is gone now and they both know it.

\- I’m sorry

\- Don’t be. At least I get to know that there will be someone there to support her.

\- I will

\- But that’s not why you came here? You came here for my blessing...

He sees the woman nod, apparently back to her awkward state now that the real reason why she came here is being mentioned.

\- But if you know Sara as well as you say you do, you should know that Sara Lance needs of no ones blessing to do whatever she wants to do.

\- Sara Lance doesn’t NEED anyones blessing, I know that. But I also know your daughter Sara, she would LOVE to have her father’s blessing.

Quentin is not known to get deeply emotional, but his eyes get a little watery seeing this woman and realizing that his daughter finally found her right match. Someone that gets to see her strength but also the softer and usually more guarded side of her.

\- And she has it, you both do.

\- Thank you Sir.

\- You can call me Quentin, you are about to marry my daughter after all.

\- Of course Sir. I mean Quentin.

Ava’s watch starts to make a sound and that breaks the emotional moment.

\- The others are coming. Mr. Ramirez is close. I need to leave.

\- You should wait for them. Sara can introduce you.

\- It’s not my time to meet them. We can not alter the course of history, no matter how much we want to.

How much she would like to be able to save all of Sara’s loved ones is left unspoken but he still gets the message loud and clear.

\- I understand

\- If there is anything else I can do for you...

\- Actually there is. Can you give Laurel a message?

\- Your daughter? But isn’t she... 

\- No, not my daughter. She is in a way, but she comes from a different earth... It’s hard to explain. But please tell this Laurel I’m proud if her. Not only the woman that I know she can be, but the one she already is. Tell her... she only needs to be herself, that no matter the outcome I’m glad I met her. Can you do that for me?

\- Yes S... Quentin, yes.

\- And Ava. One last thing. Material things never meant much to me. But there are two objects I deeply cherished in my life, a watch and a ring. I don’t have the watch anymore, otherwise I would give it to you. But the ring, Is the ring I used to propose to Sara’s mother. She wasn’t a believer in rings you see? She felt our love needed no rings. But I kept it, as a symbol of the love we shared and then of the two beautiful daughters that love gave us. I will always love the family the three of them gave me and the love our family shares wherever, whenever we are. That ring symbolizes that and I want Sara to have it. Take it.

\- I can’t take it now.

\- But...

He is about to argue. But then Ava stops his protests by getting closer to his bed and unexpectantly taking his hand.

\- Don’t worry. I’ll make sure she gets it. I’ll make sure she knows what it means.

\- Thank you

\- I really need to leave now

The same swishing sound occurs and this time he also gets to see an opening materialize and on other side of it a room appear. And in bed he can make out the sleeping form of his daughter, a little older but sleeping much more peacefully that he has seen her in years. Not even when she was a teenager did she used to look so relax and content in her sleep. That calmness seems to be contagious, just looking at her baby girl sleep he can feel it as well now. Ava crosses the gap to the other room and from the other side turns to look at him. He gets to mouth a “thank you” before the gap closes. And he really means it, Ava Sharpe gave him a precious gift, she gave him her own blessing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn’t go to sleep with this idea in my head. It’s late. I hope this makes sense


	2. Chapter 2

\- Had Constantine the Great not decided to convert to Christianity, how would that have affected the inner workings of the Roman Em...

The sound of the door at the back of her classroom interrupts the professor’s line of speech for a moment. The amphitheater style of the room where she gives her classes contributes to amplify most noises. Not only that, unusual or unexpected movements are also difficult to go unnoticed due to the shape of the room. That is perhaps why, her focus goes to see who is coming through the door at this late hour, that and maybe also see which one of her students would dare to show themselves this late into a class. But the person coming in is not someone she recognizes so, despite her natural curiosity, she decides to move on without bringing more attention towards the new arrival that is currently taking seat at the back of the room.

\- As I was saying, had this man never gone through a spiritual convention, how would that have affected the evolution of the religion he supported and the Roman Empire as a whole?

\- Can the fate of the Roman Empire be directly linked to a decision made by a single person or were the circumstances at the time so turbulent regarding religions, not to mention external threats and economical issues, that the outcome would have not changed no matter what?

The Professor is not looking directly at this new person anymore. She needs to make sure she still has the attention of the rest of the people attending, focus on her actual students. That does not mean that she fails to see that this stranger is actively listening to what she is saying. Well that is a point in favor of this stranger she supposes.

\- I want you to think about that, keep examining the reasons behind the decline of The Roman Empire we have discussed so far and ask yourselves how much weight you think Constantine decision had in the course of Roman history. We will continue next week. Thank you

At hearing that, the students start to get up from their seats and leave the classroom.

\- And oh, next class you’ll get the paper topics for your first paper.

While she takes her time gathering her things from her desk. After most of her students have left, she sees the woman start to approach her, walking calmly down from the back of the room. Now that this woman is closer and she can see her outfit, she concludes that her suit screams police detective. The police is probably in need of her expertise in one of the fields she specializes. It would not be the first time the police comes to her looking for aid on a particular case. The woman is finally in front of her. Just as she is starting to form a polite and somewhat rehearsed smile that she saves for official business the other woman speaks.

\- Professor Lance?

Just two little words, and that’s all she needs to feel like her world is suddenly crumbling all around her, like the world has suddenly stopped but at the same time everything is spinning out of control. Because she is Professor Dinah Smith here and that is how everybody knows her, everybody except... And then she sees herself at a graveyard again, saying goodbye to a loved one too soon once again. She is the only one left. No, that can’t be true. That cannot be. Her legs fail to support her, luckily the other woman is able to support her before she hits the floor. She is not sure how, but she finds herself sitting in a nearby chair, the woman that is now standing next to her must have taken there somehow.

\- Is Sara ok?

\- Why would you ask that?

The blonde seems genuinely surprised by the question. But the reason behind the other ones surprise is the least of her concerns right now.

 - You are here because of her, aren’t you?

\- Well yes, but...

\- Is she alright then? Did something happen to her?

\- No, nothing happened to her. She’s alright ma’am, I asure you.

She looks at the other woman with a look so penetrating, so intimidating grown men have been known to succumb to it. But this woman looks at her straight on and even dares to form a little smile in response.

\- Are you smiling at me?

\- Sorry ma’am. It’s just that you look a lot like her.

That makes her pause. She had started this conversation assuming she was talking to a detective, but seeing the look on this woman’s face while referencing her daughter she can’t help but face the fact that she had gotten this whole situation wrong from the beginning.

\- Who are you?

\- I’m a friend of your daughter.

Although it seems completely unintentional, the way in which the blonde says the word “friend” makes more than clear that she is so much more than that.

\- I see

And this small acknowledgment is enough to turn this stiff “detective look-a-like” into a shy thing, that suddenly finds her own shoes more interesting than maintaining eye contact. But as suddenly as it came the shyness is gone and she is back to her stiff yet determined persona.

\- So Ms. Lance...

\- No one calls me that around here.

\- How should I call you then?

\- Some people call me Professor, others Doctor... But seeing as you are a friend of my daughter, why don’t you simply call me Dinah?

\- Dinah...

It strikes her as funny that, while calling her by her first name as she requested, someone could look so uncomfortable with the informality.

\- Let me introduce myself, my name is Ava Sharpe and I’m your daughter’s...

\- Friend? That is how you called it before, Isn’t it?

Ava Sharpe looks really uncomfortable, speechless and not knowing how to put in to words what Sarah and herself are. As much as a part of her enjoys making this woman that sees herself as deserving of her daughter sweat, she decides to stop her misery.

\- Relax Ms. Sharpe. You’re involved with my daughter, I got it.

But the blonde’s expression shows that that phrase does not suit what she wants to express.

\- Partner. I’m her partner.

\- Oh, that serious?

She knew there was someone in her daughter’s life, but she had no idea that it was that serious.

\- Well, yes. And that is in fact why I am here.

\- How so?

\- You see Professor Lance, Dinah. I’m here to ask your daughter’s hand in marriage.

She can admit to herself she was not expecting that. She never saw Sarah as the marrying kind, but now looking at this woman in front of her it seems oddly fitting. It somehow reminds her of another unexpected couple.

\- I wish Quentin was here so you could ask him. He would have loved that.

\- I have actually

\- You have? How?

\- Well...

She realizes Ava is worrying she might have spilled an unknown secret.

\- Ms. Sharpe I know what type of traveling my daughter does, you can breathe now.

Ava visibly relaxes after hearing that.

\- You are part of her team then?

\- No, no. Thank beebo I’m not.

She raises an eyebrow at that, this woman intensity is amusing in a total unintentional way.

\- In a way I’m your daughter’s superior. And It’s Agent Sharpe or Director now.

The fact that this woman is Sara’s boss is a piece of information she decides to let go for now.

\- But you can do what they do and that’s how you met Quentin?

\- Well, I actually do it better than they do.

Seeing this cocky side and understanding how multifaceted this woman is, she starts to appreciate how she and her daughter could fit.

\- And yes, that is how I met him.

\- If you met him why didn’t you...

She doesn’t need to finish her sentence, they both know what she wants to know.

\- Because you were right, one person’s decision can change history. Some are so impactful that they could break time itself.

She is about to argue but the other one stops her.

 - It’s true that not everyone impacts history in such a macro scale. But even if that were not the case and we were sure the change we want to make would not be impactful enough in a large scale as to break the continuum. There would still be a ripple, there would still be consequences. Are we willing to live with those?

She is about to answer that yes, when she is stopped from replying once again.

\- Let’s say, hypothetically, that we want to save someone and that someone died saving someone else. Are we willing to sacrifice that second person? Will the person we want to save ourselves willing to do that?

That makes her pause, she knows why he died, she knows who she died saving and even if she is not their daughter, she knows she would probably have done the same.

\- And say we find a way to save this person without losing someone else in the process? How would that affect the people around them? How would that change their decisions? Are we willing to live with the effects of those decisions? Are we really sure that a horrible loss can not have positive consequences? Are we willing to give up those? Are we willing to force others to unknowingly sacrifice their possible futures in order to get what we want?

Part of her still wants to say that yes, she is. She realizes now that is not that simple.

Ava seems to sense that she is finally starting to understand the weight that this knowledge, that this power carries.

\- I wish it were easier.

The blonde says to her as a consolation.

\- Me too.

She really does and still she refuses to let this conversation stay this somber. Not when it should be about her daughter’s happiness

\- But you met him

\- I did

She can see Agent Sharpe form a small pleased smile as she says this. That smile is contagious.

\- How did it go?

\- It went well, he gave me his blessing and he offered me a ring, your ring.

\- Is that why you came here, the ring?

\- No, as I said before, I’m here to ask your daughter’s hand in marriage.

\- But you have her father’s blessing already, why would you need mine?

She can no longer hide the fact that she feels undeserving of this privilege, of this moment. Ava doesn’t seem to agree.

\- Why wouldn’t I? You are her mother.

\- Hardly. I wasn’t there when she needed me, when they needed me.

\- There is nothing we can do to change the past.

To others with knowledge of Ava’s line of work it might sound ironic, but after hearing her line of reasoning regarding changes in the time line it is rather fitting.

\- Besides the past makes us what we are and I like who Sarah is, don’t you?

\- I do. But that doesn’t change the fact that what happened is my fault and Sarah knows it.

She feels bad for ventilating this issues to her daughter’s partner during their first meeting, but some thing just need to be said.

\- What happened is not your fault

\- I could have stopped Sara from going on that boat.

\- You could have tried harder? Perhaps. But we know how stubborn she can be when she puts her mind into something. In the end, it was her decision and she knows it. She does not blame you for it and you shouldn’t blame yourself either.

This last part is said with such certainty that seems to go right into her soul. It honestly makes her wonder if she is wrong in blaming herself and in the idea that Sarah blames her as well.

\- Then why doesn’t she come to see me or contact me more often?

\- Why didn’t you for all those years before she came back?

She knows the answer to that even before Ava says it.

\- She feels guilty

\- She has no reason to

\- She has a time ship and yet she chooses not to save the ones she loves, the ones she lost.

\- But it is not that simple, you said so yourself.

\- She knows that. Even then, It is still is a choice and knowing the circumstances still does not make the burden of that decision less heavy to carry.

She never stopped to think this from Sarah’s point of view. She had been so consumed by her own guilt that she was blinded towards her daughter’s

\- And also...

\- There’s more?

Her poor baby. How much guilt, how much pain can one person take?

\- I think she is afraid of losing you if she gets too close.

\- She wouldn’t lose me.

\- I am not saying I agree, I am just saying that what we do can be dangerous and I think she is afraid to put another loved one in harms way

\- A loved one?

\- Yes, of course. You do know she loves you, don’t you?

She needs a moment to let that idea sink in. Her daughter loves her. It should be a given, but it is not. Her daughter STILL loves her.

Ava stays silent, giving her enough time to process all this new information.

She has so many emotions, so many ideas, so many different feelings running rampant inside of her. She opens her mouth to say something, but she has so many questions and ideas waiting to be said, she doesn’t know where to start.

\- Just be there for her. She won’t go to you by herself. That does not mean she doesn’t need you or that she doesn’t want you there.

Dinah goes for a hug and, even though Ava doesn’t seem to know how to work it properly at first, she ends up adjusting to it.

Once Ava has settled into it, Dinah feels brave enough to say what she wants to say.

\- Thank you. And even though I’m still not completely sure you need it, of course you have my blessing.

Once the hug brakes, things are a little awkward from the other woman’s part. It seems she is not used to public displays of affection and does not know the proper way to react to them. She becomes stiff once again, her hands behind her back.

\- Thank you

Then an awkward silence takes over the room. Luckily, the moment is interrupted by the sound of a phone. The other woman takes a phone out of an internal pocket from her suit.

\- Sorry I have to take this

What happens then is marvelous to see, whoever is on the other end of the line (and she has a pretty good idea who it is) makes Director Ava Sharpe turn into a soft woman. Gone is the stiffness, instantly replaced by a radiant yet coy smile, coming from this new version of Ava that plays with her hair while she talks on the phone.

\- Yes, I’m not... Wait. How do you know I’m not at the office?

At hearing what is being answered from the other side an annoyed smile appears on her face.

\- Gary. Of course.

\- No, I’m fine, I don’t need back up. I’m not with anything work related.

Whatever Ava is being told from the other end of the line makes her blush.

\- No, not that either.

The blonde seems to suddenly remember where and in front of who she is, If she takes how huge her eyes suddenly turn as a sign. That reaction turns into a small coughing fit.

\- Yes, yes, I’m ok. Did you need something ?

\- No, it’s not that. I just can’t talk right now.

\- Tonight? Yes, of course.

What is said from the other side now makes Ava look like she is about to swoon.

\- Yeah, me too...

\- Bye

Although she hangs up. It takes her a second to come back from that moment. She can almost see this woman in front of her trying to emotionally compose herself. She finds it comforting to know her own daughter is the cause of that softer side coming to the surface.

\- Sarah? And just the mention of her name seems to bring back that special smile to the blonde woman’s face once again.

\- Yes

\- You love her.

And although it is not pose as a question, Ava answers it still the same

\- I do

\- And she loves you

\- Fortunately, she does.

There is not much else to ask or say. Her daughter sounds happy and that is all she needs to know. Just then the agent’s watch makes a sound

\- It’s work. I need to go

\- Ava, before you go. I want to give you something

And she takes a chain from around her neck, a chain holding a ring.

\- I know you said this is not what you came for, but I think you should have it

\- But it’s yours.

\- No, it is not. Quentin offered it to me a long time ago, but I never took it. Sometimes I wish I had, but I didn’t. I never knew he kept it, not until after...

They both know what she is referring to without the need to mention it, not wanting to reopen a wound that still feels fresh.

\- He said he kept it as a symbol of the love you two shared and the daughters that that love gave him.

She can’t help but shed a few tears thinking of that man and the love they shared and how a part of her will always love him. Not only for the two beautiful daughters he gave her but also for the honorable man he was right until the end.

With a hand motion, putting one of her owns palms up, she asks for Ava’s hand. Once it is on top of her own, she puts the ring still in its chain on top of Ava’s own palm and closes the hand surrounding it with her own.

\- I want you, Ava Sharpe, to have this ring now. I think is fitting, seeing as you just gave me my family back

Both of their eyes are watery now.

The watch interrupts again.

\- You need to go

\- Yes

And although they both acknowledge the urgency, none of them want to be the one to finally break the moment.

The watch interrupts again, but this time with a higher pitch and that makes her finally let go

\- Good luck

\- Thank you

After a nod, her future daughter-in-law turns around and with a touch of her watch she hears a swishing sound and sees a portal opening up and on other side of it what it looks like a regular office appear.

On top of a beautiful wooden desk on the other side she can make out a photo of Ava and her daughter, in the photo they look happy and in love. She can not help but think her daughter looks happier in it that she ever remembers seeing her. Not only happy but also finally whole. The happiness that the image radiates seems to be contagious, just looking at her baby girl that happy she can feel it as well now.

Ava crosses the gap to the other room and from the other side turns to look at her. She gets to mouth a “thank you” before the gap closes. And she really means it, Ava Sharpe gave her a precious gift, she gave her hope, hope of having a place in her daughter’s life back once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to thank all those who left kudos and comments for the previous chapter. That show of support really encouraged me post this new one.  
> Camscan and Mar_47, I hope you get to read this new chapter and that you feel as strongly about this new chapter as you did for the one before.  
> Uselesslez, when I was starting to develope the idea for this second chapter the ring was not part of it. Your comment was the seed that made that happen. So I hope you like how it came out.  
> Disasterjoss, your little hearts made me smile.  
> Indigo, I feel honoured by your request.  
> Last but not least, to all the people who took the time to read this second chapter after reading the first, THANK YOU.


End file.
